Chapter 25
‘Is this for real?’
It wasn’t just Docep’s personality that had changed from the original story. He was actually crossing swords with his former master in the family’s training ground.
Seeing him like this left me momentarily confused.
I couldn’t tell whether I should be happy about it or not whennot when Junel sensed my turmoil and neatly sorted out my thoughts.
OfOf course you should be happy! No matter how much I interfere, it’s useless if he doesn’t have the will to awaken on his own! He picked up the sword himself, didn’t he?he?
“I… I guess that’s true?”
[Hurry up and go praise him, at least!]
Urged on by Junel, I cautiously walked over.
I wanted to greet him first, but what should I call him?
Young master? No, that felt wrong now.
Sir? I’d been wearing a maid’s uniform, but I wasn’t actually going to act like a maid.
That left only one option.
“Dear!”
Since Docep was the one who said he wanted to take me as his wife first, maybe I could call him that?
***
“D—Dear?”“D—Dear?”
At that embarrassingly intimate address, the eyes of about ten knights in the training ground snapped toward the woman all at once.
Flowing, voluminous golden hair.
A pale face with doll-like blue eyes.
A light, unadorned dress fluttered softly in the breeze.
Bathed in gentle sunlight, the woman smiled brightly and waved her slender arm.
Despite wearing no makeup, her dazzling beauty instantly overwhelmed everyone present. The heavy atmosphere filling the training ground was swept away as if by a sudden gust of wind.
The garden was far away, yet it felt as though the scent of flowers had suddenly filled the air.
“Who… is she…?”
It wasn’t just Moldorf who looked stunned.
“W—Who“W—Who let a w—womanw—woman into the training ground?!”
“W—Who is she?! Who brought such a beautiful woman here—ahem.”
The apprentice knights were just as shaken.
Halara’s beauty was far beyond that of an ordinary woman.
She was, after all, the infamous enchantress said to be the most beautiful woman in the vast Bloodymary territory.
And since her audience consisted of knights who had hardly ever come face-to-face with women, Halara looked to them like a goddess descending from the heavens.
“Dear!”
Halara waved again as she walked closer.
Now everyone desperately tried to figure out who she was heading toward.
They had to find out who that lucky bastard was.
“Pfft.”
At that moment, Docep let out a small laugh.
“Young master.”
Moldorf was just about to end the test—
Thud—! Thud thud thud!
Docep swung the wooden sword he was holding and instantly subdued Moldorf. Moldorf’s wooden sword snapped in two and clattered to the ground.
“The test is over, right?”
He asked casually.
“…Yes.”
It was a barely earned pass, but still.
Only then did Docep relax and turn his head toward Halara.
Seeing that confident expression, Moldorf narrowed his eyes.
“Could it be…?”
“What’s the occasion? Training when you never do.”
Despite her curt tone, the woman practically bounced over to Docep.
“W—What? That woman is the young master’s woman?”
“Hey, didn’t she just call him ‘dear’?”
“The young master is married? I have an older brother in the First Knight Order, and I never heard that!”
The apprentice knights buzzed even louder.
The looks of contempt and disregard they’d shown earlier were completely gone.
“Who said the young master married a rich widow?”
And finally, in perfect unison, they muttered,
“…I’m jealous.”
***
Since Docep was working so hard, I’d only planned to give him a snack and leave.
That was before he walked up with that crooked smile and kept asking me about what I’d just said.
“Dear?”
“Yes. Since you want me by your side so desperately, I figured I should play along.”
It was a small, petty act of revenge.
For not clearly explaining why he brought me here.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes.”
“Then keep calling me that.”
“…What?”
“It sounds nice. I’ve never heard anyone call me that before.”
Unexpectedly, Docep counterattacked.
“Wait a moment, young master.”
“Dear.”
“No, young master.”
“Do you usually switch how you speak so easily?”
Docep curled his lips into a mocking smile. Once again, it felt like I was the one losing.
“You really are a brute.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Keep hearing it, then.”
“Gladly, dear.”
This time, Docep used the term of endearment himself.
My whole body trembled from embarrassment.
“Seriously… you shouldn’t be like this.”
A fantasy protagonist talking like this should be illegal.
“Is there some rule saying I can’t?”
“No. Just… no. Anyway, no.”
My head was spinning.
Even after talking to him again, this wasn’t the Docep I knew or imagined. He was still a one-star, unawakened swordsman, yet he was overflowing with confidence.
I glanced at Moldorf, who was panting and slumped behind us, and asked,
“But really, why are you training? What got into you?”
“You even keep track of whether I train or not?”
He scoffed arrogantly, standing with one leg crossed.
“Anyone here would know. That you don’t train and just go outside the castle to mess around.”
Saying it out loud made me feel a bit guilty. I knew better than anyone that while Docep acted like a delinquent, he’d actually worked tirelessly to awaken. And I was the only one who knew that.
“…I take that back.”
I admit that was harsh.
“What did you say?”
Of course he had to make me repeat the hardest part.
I almost wished I’d pretended not to hear him. But the scars on his arm kept catching my eye, softening my resolve.
“Here. This is for you.”
Instead of answering, I pulled out my secret weapon.
Freshly made yakgwa.
“Did my dear make this?”
“No! Stop with the ‘dear’!”
First the one-night thing, now this—‘dear’ was tormenting me.
I couldn’t smack him; he was too tall.
As I trembled with frustration, Docep chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.
“Did you just laugh?”
“Did I?”
“That’s new.”
“What is?”
“You. Smiling.”
Maybe because we’d been seeing each other so often lately, but it was the first time I’d seen him smile.
When he smiled with his eyes, he looked harmless and strangely charming. The smile vanished quickly, leaving me oddly disappointed, like someone who’d only gotten one bite of ice cream.
“That was random and out of nowhere.”
He popped my yakgwa into his mouth.
“But your cooking skills at least make sense.”
“Of course.”
“It’s good.”
He chewed and swallowed two yakgwa in one go. Seeing him eat what I made so happily made it impossible to dislike him.
As we bickered, Moldorf, who had approached without us noticing, spoke in a heavy voice.
“…Sorry to interrupt.”
“Oh.”
Docep shoved the last yakgwa into his pocket.
“Moldorf, you don’t get any. I’ll give you money, so go buy your own.”
You could’ve just given him one.
There were still plenty left in the annex kitchen.
“…I’ll pass on sweets.”
Moldorf shook his head.
“Luckily, it’s the opposite of my taste. We won’t fight over food.”
“Now then, don’t you still have something to discuss with me?”
At his serious tone, Docep finally straightened up. I held my breath and listened. This wasn’t in the original story, so I was genuinely intrigued.
“You’ve passed the test. You may come to the training ground from now on.”
“That was a tough test.”
Docep shrugged, pulling his sleeve back into place. Moldorf looked at him incredulously.
“…What is your intention?”
“Exactly what I said. I want you to be my swordsmanship master again.”
“You believe I’ll be of use to you?”
Moldorf asked as if measuring him. Since he’d passed, I thought he’d accept gladly, but he hesitated. Was it because of Docep’s reputation as a brute?
“I need you.”
“…Understood. Then we’ll begin proper training from now on.”
“Sorry, but that’ll have to wait. I have to go to Kern Hall today.”
“Kern Hall?”
Junel answered for me.
Kern Hall! That’s the cave where even a three-star knight died recently!]
“What do you mean? Why would the young master go to Kern Hall?”
Moldorf asked in shock. For a brief moment, Docep’s gaze flicked toward me.
“I have a punishment to receive.”
For bringing me here …?
